Indebted to the Enemy
by Dracula's Lair
Summary: When Dracula saves him and Anna from a horrible fate,Van Helsing is forced to choose between his loyalties and beliefs.
1. Partners

Indebted To The Enemy  
  
Summary: When Dracula saves him and Anna from a horrible fate, Van Helsing is forced to choose between his loyalties and beliefs.  
  
Disclaimers: I don't get any credit for this, only my imagination does.  
  
Chapter 1: Partners.  
  
Dracula snarled in shock and anger as Van Helsing sank his fangs into his neck. He started shriveling into nothingness and soon vanished. Clouds covered the moon for a moment and Van Helsing transformed back into a human. "Anna!!" He cried, spotting her, "Let's go and find Carl, he should have the antidote."  
  
Carl lost himself in a dark mist that swirled around him. "Anybody out there?" He called. The silence filled him with fear, he was never brave anyway. Carl started feeling his way through the darkness, but there wasn't anything to hold on to. "Damn! What have I gotten myself into? Van Helsing won't be happy..." He tried to recall what happened in the few minutes before. This place is as dark as hell, he thought.  
  
HELL??!! The last thing he remembered was that one of Dracula's brides was draining him of his life blood. So am I dead? Carl questioned himself. "Oof, sorry" He said after colliding with someone.  
  
"It's alright, I am here..." A voice that sounded like Dracula's replied from somewhere. Carl freaked out and started running away from where he thought Dracula was. Unfortunately, he ran straight into Dracula instead and fell down. Dracula sighed with exasperation, everybody was frightened of him. "We are in the same place now, Carl. You will need my help if you want to get out of this."  
  
"I don't need your help, son-of-the-Devil!" Carl muttered from Dracula's feet. The Count pulled him up. "Where are we? Are we dead?" Carl asked confusedly. "So it's we now huh? I thought you didn't want my help." Dracula answered sarcastically. It was a rhetorical question, so Carl remained silent. It was true that he was frightened and needed Dracula's help.  
  
"Okay, I'll eat my words. Will you help me? I'm lost, wherever I am." Carl asked. Dracula grabbed him by his arm and started leading him through the darkness.  
  
A/n: My first fic!!! Sorry that its so short, I'm having problems loading it with my super slow computer. Love it, hate it, tell me all about it!!! 


	2. Of Werewolves and Hell

A/n: My apologies for taking so long to update! My mum has banned me from using the computer on weekdays :( But I will try to update weekly ok? :) And I need some help...I don't know how change scenes except to use lines so bear with me while I try to find an alternative...  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing on ff.net is original...

The succession of footsteps was the only sounds that could be heard bouncing off the walls of the rooms. They moved in silence, not speaking, tearing through one room after another. No words were needed – both their goals were the same. On their way towards their destination, Van Helsing and Anna met a few unfortunate minions of Dracula, all of which were killed. Ironically, they all seemed gleeful about something that remained unknown to them. After the umpteenth grinning faces they met, Anna's patience was stretched taut. 

Grabbing hold of one of those horrid creatures, she glared at the smirking thing. "What's so funny?!" The ugly creature's grin widened perceptibly and her grip tightened. "He has gone with _it_. The Master will reward us!" it shrieked gleefully, its laughter sounding like a banshee screeching through the night. Anna dropped the creature in revulsion; surely laughing in such a manner at such a repulsive matter is not very healthy for a sane person. To her benefit and Van Helsing's none of those repulsive creatures bothered them for the rest of the journey.

* * *

"This is it. We're here," Dracula announced to the human clinging to him like a lifeline as they emerged from the enshrouding darkness. The room was massive. The pale marble pillars were barely discernable with the dim torches that hung from it. The gloominess of the place seemed to affect the people in the room. Carl surveyed his surroundings, eyeing the long line of people nervously. His grip on Dracula's arm did not loosen as his fearful eyes swept over the room again. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice barely audible from the trepidation gnawing at his insides. Dracula fought the urge to smirk at Carl's dependence upon him. The twerp knew nothing. 

With slow deliberation, he peeled Carl's fingers away from his arm, almost wanting to refuse him an answer. But the twerp would just pester him. And that would be irritating. "They?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow at the queue; Carl fidgeted under his strong gaze. "Yes, them," he replied, his attempt to sound curt failing horribly when his voice came out as a squeak. Amusement smiled from Dracula's eyes. "Waiting for their turn, of course. It usually takes a long, long time..." he drawled, completely refraining from answering his question directly. Carl's puzzlement was apparent as he pondered briefly what Dracula meant, then decided it would do better not to know. He turned his gaze from Dracula, opting for surveying his surrounding so he would at least know where he was. Somewhere in his mind, a voice said, 'Hell, of course.' He slapped himself mentally. Now even his mind was against him. It wasn't his fault he landed here, in Hell, of all places.

* * *

Van Helsing and Anna arrived at the bridge linking the two towers without any other incidents. A gap large enough to fit in another tower stood where the middle of the bridge had been before. Their efforts to get here had gone to waste, and time was slipping like water with every ticking second. Van Helsing growled in frustration. They would have to go all the way back down again and climb up the second tower. And there was still the third tower. All this would need time, and time was not a factor that they had in their hands. 

Nevertheless, sitting duck on the broken bridge was no option. Turning swiftly, both Van Helsing and Anna made to backtrack the way they came from. Above them, a light wind blew by and the clouds parted to reveal the glowing full moon. Anna watched in palpable horror as Van Helsing began transforming into a werewolf again. In less than a few seconds, a snarling werewolf stood in place where Van Helsing was. It advanced towards her, backing her towards the edge of the bridge. A brief glance over her shoulder told her that she was too close the edge for comfort. And that brief glance was enough time for the werewolf to attack. It pounced and Anna sidestepped the werewolf, barely missing the entire weight of the werewolf but was rewarded with a slash across her shoulder for her inattentiveness.

Moving swiftly, she made her way away from the edge as the werewolf turned and advanced upon her with a deadly predatory look dancing in its red homicidal eyes. It leapt in a fluid motion and she moved away quickly, only to find herself falling as she tripped over her own leg. She landed heavily on her side, pain shooting up her ankle from the impact of the fall. The werewolf bared its fangs at her – she was almost sure it was grinning. Without a warning, the werewolf was upon her again, and she rolled over, avoiding its claws by mere inches. She needed a plan. She could not possibly hurt Van Helsing, but being knocked around like that was not good either. A thought flashed across her mind. If Dracula was able to control her brother, perhaps she could control Van Helsing too?

Anna got to her feet, immediately placing some distance between herself and the feral creature. Controlling him was the only option she had, and it might even work. Fixing a glare upon the snarling werewolf, she braced herself for another attack. Sure enough, the animal flew at her, giving her scant moments to prepare herself. "In the name of the Lord, stop!" Anna shouted, her command ringing into the silent night. No response came and the werewolf was still hurdling towards her. 'When plan one fails, take up plan two,' she thought to herself. But she had no other plans in mind, and the animal was still coming at her.

* * *

The room was certainly eventful. So many things were going on around Carl – many things that involved torture in one form or another. Sure, he could not exactly see what was happening, but from the strangled gurgling cries and yelps of pain, he could almost feel the torture. Every few moments there would be a weird sizzling sound that he positively did not want to know what it was, and every other time the whirr of the whip slapping across the cold hard floor could be heard, followed closely by a piercing scream. He winced instinctively as another cry sounded somewhere.  
  
He looked around and the sound of crying caught his ears. A young woman, badly mangled was being dragged past them by to guards, crying incessantly. Carl sprung forward to help the young lady, only to feel cold hands gripping his arm and yanking him back. "Are you mad?! You have to mind your own business here! You could get into trouble if you don't!" Dracula hissed, eyes narrowed. Carl shivered involuntarily. Getting into trouble now was definitely not good. The queue moved slowly, and it was a long time before they were actually near the front. A large and high table sat at the front, with candles being the only source of light for the judge. The sight of the judge was simply revolting. The tortured cries were not exactly helping too, as his mind took on the imaginary road of whatever was happening to the tormented souls somewhere in this hellhole. His nervousness did not exactly bode well with the fact that they were near enough to hear the judge's verdict. 

So far, already two of the five people that were previously before them were sent to Hell. Each deceased took along time to be judged, for their lives had filled many pages in the large thick book before the judge. Carl was starting to feel the stirrings of regret – he was not a very good friar in life. He wondered if he would be condemned to Hell or Heaven. Sure, he had done a number of cursing in his life, but he had saved the barmaid from the vampire too, and also had invented very useful things. The tension became too much to bear – he turned to Dracula's intimidating form beside him and almost immediately regretted doing so when he found Dracula's gaze fixed upon himself. "Can you go first?" he inquired fearfully. "No," Dracula replied emotionlessly, looking away. "Please?" Carl begged. There were only two people before him now. Dracula did not reply, and Carl knew his answer without asking. "But why not?" he ventured. Dracula's leering face swam into his line of vision. "Because," he said slowly, as though explaining to a two year old kid, "First-timers always go...first," he finished, a smirk dancing across his features. Carl wanted to glare at him for enjoying the merciless teasing Dracula put him through, but thought better of it.

* * *

Anna watched as though the werewolf was moving in slow motion as it came closer to her. At the last possible moment, she ducked low and the werewolf sailed past her and over to the other side of the bridge. She whirled around, adrenaline pumping through her system. However, the werewolf seemed distracted. It had seen something...  
  
To be continued... 

A/n: Thanks to all who reviewed, especially Sparrow's Chick: you don't know what your words mean to an amateur like me :) And also to my editor who wishes to remain anonymous. For the reviewer who wanted Dracula to slap Carl, I'll try to include that in my next chapter...For now, try to get yourselves off the cliff :)


	3. Carl's Fate

A/n: Alright, pulls reviewers up from cliff the third chapter!!

Have your reading pleasure first, dedications and stuff later.

(For updates check my profile)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Van Helsing_; I own a copy of the book however.

* * *

It was a figure of a man lying face down on the bridge. He seemed to be dead. The werewolf ambled to it curiously, sniffing the surrounding air. _Food! _It thought instantly and tried to eat an arm.

It was cold and already half frozen, and stubbornly refused to be torn off so the werewolf gave it a hard wrench. A loud cracking noise was heard as the arm separated from the body. Some distance away on the other side, Anna watched with disgust and tried to keep herself from screaming lest it attracted the werewolf. She had read that dogs were extremely possessive of their food and would attack anyone who came near their food.

A small part of Van Helsing remained, shrieking that he was eating a human. He fought against the werewolf's instincts and managed to prevent himself from eating the rest of it, but the limb had already gone down his throat. He retched, hoping to vomit it out to no avail. He didn't want to actually. The arm was quite tasty.

* * *

A very frustrated Dracula glared daggers at Carl, who had been bombarding him with questions ever since they had met. He wondered why anyone would bother asking what the torture instruments looked like and how they were used.

"...and that is for? W-what does it do? " Carl was asking. He was desperately trying to keep his attention focused on anywhere else but the judge. "Damn you Carl! Why not try it on yourself?! Besides I am sure you _will_ know how it works later on!" the other cursed angrily.

Other people behind them did not continuously ask questions, they merely kept quiet. Couldn't Carl be like them? After all nobody wanted to know how they would be treated if they were to stay in Hell. Poor Carl was actually suffering from shock; he still did not believe that he was dead _and_ in Hell.

A few scuttled to the back of the queue when they saw Dracula; there were some who gaped at him. Apparently they thought he did not exist. _What a pity,_ Dracula thought._ To think that these people fear me instead of worshipping me._

* * *

Mercifully, the moon disappeared behind some clouds and the werewolf started returning to its original form. Its skin became loose and hung on the werewolf, then it ripped apart to show human skin. Its claws and feet twisted to form human hands; legs. The hideous misshapen form gave a strange noise that sounded like a cross between a howl and a moan. Before the human shape was fully formed, the werewolf leapt back to Anna's side.

Finally the remains of werewolf and fur shriveled up and disappeared. Van Helsing looked sickened with himself. "Did I just eat a...a human?" he asked Anna, hoping that it was all a nightmare. Anna bit her lip, "Yes you did. But it isn't your fault" she tried to reassure him. "Who was that anyway?" She inquired.

Van Helsing hesitated and started weeping. "Its Carl...oh Anna please forgive me for..." he sobbed. Anna held him close.

"And the antidote?"

"It's smashed into a thousand pieces." Van Helsing muttered almost to himself.

Anna was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"But then you will remain a werewolf forever!" She said, voice full of concern and disappointment.

"I will find a way!" Van Helsing snarled angrily. "And I don't need your help and pity!" He ran off, leaving Anna wondering what had gone wrong.

* * *

"Do you think we'll go separate ways? After all, you're _the_ Devil's son." Carl pressed. A loud slap that echoed in the room was the only reply he got. Carl staggered slightly; Dracula was much stronger than he was.

Several guards of Hell rushed forward towards him. "Don't you _ever_ call me that again." Dracula attempted to cool down in front of them. "I am _not _the Devil's son and will never be" Of all insults he had heard, that was the worst. While that was happening, the two people in front left.

"Well, look who we have here! Vladislaus Dracula again, if I am not wrong?" The Devil mocked sweetly, stepping out. Carl turned pale and started looking at another direction, pretending to be interested in the torture that he saw through an open door. Still, he could not prevent himself him shaking violently.

"You shouldn't bully first-timers you know. You were one a long time ago," the Devil scolded. "Every time you come here trouble brews." Dracula ignored him and moved to the judge. "Vladislaus Dracula you are guilty of killing innocent people..." Dracula let him drone on, he had heard the same things countless times before.

"And you are sentenced to roam the border between Heaven and Hell for eternity, neither alive nor dead as a vampire" the judge finally finished. The Devil smiled evilly. "Does Gabriel Van Helsing know that he is hunting his _best _friend?" Dracula heard Carl's sputter of shock from behind and tried his best to ignore it.

"Anyway, if you see my son send my greetings to him" the Devil said. "If you know who he is!" He cackled happily and pushed Dracula away. "Next!" The judge called impatiently and Carl stepped nervously forward. He relaxed a bit after seeing an angel from Heaven beside the judge.

"Carl from the border huh? This is your first time here?" The judge questioned. Carl nodded numbly. The angel stepped forward "You have done a good job as a friar in life, you should go to Heaven," The judge interrupted "He has cursed many times in life even though he knew it to be wrong! How can you send him to Heaven?"

The angel looked thoughtfully. "A compromise then," He discussed it for a while with the judge and both settled on an agreement. Carl thought they were in a conspiracy to ensure he never got to Heaven.

"Since you have done a number of cursing in your life as a friar..." The judge said, "Damn, you will also roam the border between Heaven and Hell as a vampire by day, human at night. God may give you a chance to redeem yourself then" He didn't look happy at the thought.

Carl fainted on hearing his fate and the ugly guards of Hell had to pick him up and throw him into Dracula's arms. On his way out, the Devil added to Dracula: "By the way, my son is much more handsome than you..."

"Next!"

* * *

A/n: I didn't do a spell check, forgive me if I have any spelling mistakes . I also am not sure of when I'll update but I'll try my best ok? By the way, the border that separates Hell from Heaven is Earth.

Thanks to The White Werewolf for the constructive criticism: is this good enough?

Readers: Review if you think this chapter deserves it.


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